53

Georgia’s defense held Luther Burden to just fifty-three yards on the night, which is quite impressive, given that the Tigers’ star receiver was averaging about 100 yards per game prior to facing Georgia. What’s even more impressive is that Georgia made a significant adjustment to mitigate Burden and his big-play ability. The Dawgs’ defense moved Kamari Lassiter, who traditionally plays outside corner, to the slot where he could personally match up with Burden. However, Lassiter couldn’t cover Burden the entire game. In fact, a majority of Burden’s yards were allowed by sophomore defensive back Daylen Everette—39 to be precise—on a play where Mizzou caught Georgia’s defense off guard. Although 39-yard play occurred at a crucial moment, all credit goes to the Dawgs for not letting Burden heat up during the game.

7

Everyone knows Brock Bowers is gone, but with him recovering on the sidelines, it has made way for Chatsworth-native Ladd McConkey to become the new go-to in the passing game. McConkey saw eight targets and caught seven of them for ninety-five yards. McConkey has been described as one of the most impressive athletes on the team, and in his limited action, you can really see his talent shining through. In just five games back from injury, McConkey has racked up 337 yards for the season. He will be an essential weapon moving forward, especially when Ole Miss and their electric offense visit Sanford Stadium next week.

100%

This kind of performance may go unnoticed, but true freshman kicker Peyton Woodring from Lafayette, Louisiana, went three-for-three on field goal kicks and three for three on extra point attempts, making him 100% on the night. Just like last year, Missouri proved to be an impressive opponent, losing by only nine points—credit for those nine points goes to Woodring. After the game in his press conference, Coach Kirby Smart labeled this clash against Mizzou as a ‘kicking game,’ and luckily for Georgia, they have one of the most talented freshman kickers in the country in Peyton Woodring.

254

It wasn’t by any means his best game, but junior quarterback Carson Beck still managed to pass for 254 yards against what appeared to be a stout, blitz-heavy Missouri defense. This achievement extends Beck’s streak to nine consecutive games with 250 passing yards, making him the only quarterback in SEC history to achieve that feat. Nine games of 250 passing yards surpassed Stetson Bennett’s output from last year, which was four games of 250 passing yards in 2021, and Beck probably isn’t stopping here. Next week, Beck will face off against an Ole Miss secondary that has allowed an average of 228 passing yards per game, and the week after that, he’ll play against Tennessee, which allows an average of 222 passing yards. This level of production shouldn’t end anytime soon, and if Beck keeps it up, he may find himself in New York City come December.

2

In the fourth quarter, it was two interceptions on consecutive Missouri offensive drives, one by defensive lineman Nazir Stackhouse and the other by safety Javon Bullard, that truly sealed the game. Stackhouse’s interception got the Dawgs into field goal position, increasing their lead to nine points, making it a two-score game. Then Bullard’s turnover really sealed the deal. There were no other turnovers in the game up to that point, so it’s great to see Georgia’s big-time players making big-time plays in crucial moments.